The A-to-Z of Yeovil's History

by Bob Osborn

yeovil at waR

Smith gun

Weapons of
the Home Guard

The Smith Gun
was an ad hoc
anti-tank
artillery piece
used by the
British Army and
Home Guard
during the
Second World
War. With a
German invasion
of Great Britain
seeming likely
after the defeat
in the Battle of
France, most
available
weaponry was
diverted to the
regular British
Army, leaving
the Home Guard
short on
supplies,
particularly
anti-tank
weaponry. The
Smith Gun was
designed by a
retired Army
Major named
William H Smith
as a makeshift
anti tank
weapon, and was
put into
production in
1941 following a
demonstration to
the Prime
Minister,
Winston
Churchill.

The weapon
consisted of a
3-inch
smoothbore
barrel
approximately 54
inches long
mounted on a
carriage and
capable of
firing both
anti-tank and
anti-personnel
rounds to ranges
of approximately
500 yards.
Despite the
promising-sounding
nature of the
weapon it had
several
problems; the
effective range
was only around
100–300 yards,
it was a heavy
and awkward
weapon to move
around and it
developed "a
terrifying
reputation for
killing its
crew."
Production
problems meant
that it was not
introduced until
1942, when it
was issued
mainly to Home
Guard units and
those units in
the regular Army
tasked with
guarding
airfields, and
ammunition
shortages meant
that the guns
had only six or
seven rounds
each. Despite
these problems
many Home Guard
units developed
an attachment to
the weapon,
later claiming
it was "one of
the best pieces
of equipment
ever issued to
the force".

gallery

Courtesy of Rob
Baker

This photograph
of the Yeovil
Home Guard
shows a
remarkable
weapon - the Smith Gun - at
left and a
Boys
Anti-Tank Rifle
at right.
Officially known
as the Ordnance,
Smooth Bore, 3
inch, or OSB,
the Smith Gun
was a weapon
mostly issued to
the Home Guard
(in very small
numbers) for
anti-tank and HE
purposes,
although it was
also
occasionally
used for
airfield
defence.

A 1940s
photograph of a
Smith Gun in tow
behind a private
vehicle pressed
into service.